"...the devotion of the Sisters of Saint Joseph, at first exercised only in the prisons of Lyons, had gone beyond the city. Everywhere their influence had produced such improvements that the Supervisory Commission was struck by it and conceived the project of prison reform. It drew up a report which was printed and addressed to the Minister of the Interior. This report, quite full of praise for the Sisters of Saint Joseph, gave an unexpected expansion to the work of the prisons...
"Three months after the publication of this report, the Prefect of Bas Rhine asked for six or eight Sisters of Saint Joseph for the central prison of Hagueneau, where only women were imprisoned. Some time later, the Prefect of the North asked for some for the prison of Lille. Since these requests had not been foreseen, the Superiors were not prepared to answer at once. In the Chamber of Deputies, everybody agreed that the reform of the prisons was needed, especially in the prisons for women where men supervised. But not everybody wished the reform to be made in the same manner. Hence, the different systems, and the hot discussions which ended in one decision,--the need of immediate action and the finding of supervisors who possessed all desirable qualities.
"'Give me five hundred Sisters,' exclaimed M. Thiers, 'and I will undertake to reform all the prisons in the kingdom. With their rosaries on their sides, they will certainly have more influence than the keepers with their swords.'
"'That is possible,' somebody answered, 'but where shall we find these five hundred Religious who will consent to enclose themselves with the prisoners day and night.?'
"A member of the Assembly spoke of the Sisters of Saint Joseph and the well-conducted prisons of Lyons. The Inspector General of the prisons, Charles Lucas, was commissioned to ascertain the state of affairs for himself, to see the Superior of this convent and to ask her if she would accept the supervision of all the prisons of France, beginning with the central houses. The offer was accepted, in principle, but on the condition that the prisons would be served according to the possibilities of the community.
"At once, the Minister of the Interior asked for two hundred Sisters. These would have been given willingly but the community did not have them. The Superior asked for time and as God wanted this work, He bestowed vocations. The Novitiate of the Solitude was filled and it was with the greatest care that these young subjects were prepared for this special mission which requires as much firmness as kindness and supernatural spirit.
"Demands came from every quarter. On January 30, 1840, the Inspector General announced that the Minister of the Interior sanctioned the Prefect of Herault, who made an agreement with the congregation...
"The prisons suddently assumed an unforseen importance. This work had already necessitated a special training. The unexpected growth of this second division could harm the good progress of the Institute, the unity of spirit and the entire observance of the Rule. That was a subject of great anxiety for Mother Saint John [Fontbonne]. This useful and fruitful apostolic movement must not be stopped, but the other works of the community must neither be submerged nor compromised. One way alone would settle all difficulties: that is, to have two different congregations. The Archbishop having approved this plan, the Sisters worked at once to realize it and to look for a place where they would locate the novitiate for the Sisters who were to have the service of the prisons. [It was decided to locate it at Haute Vienne.]
"Cardinal Fesch died in Rome, in 1839. The Bishop of Le Puy, Monsignor de Boland, succeeded him as Archbishop of Lyons. On January 30, 1841, he issued an ordinance which permitted the Sisters of Saint Joseph to choose freely between the community for the prisons or the community for teaching and other charitable works. Those who chose the prisons were authorized to leave the diocese under the direction of Mother Saint Augustine Quinon.
"The new congregation retained the name of Saint Joseph, but it added that of Mary. The Sisters also kept the original habit. The black underveil was replaced by a white one; over this white underveil was in turn placed a blue one and the black veil was pinned over these two. One could soon see a few of the Sisters Marie-Joseph in all the prisons. Those who desire to know them will still find them in the Prison Saint Lazare, Paris. The Sisters of Saint Joseph continued their work in the prisons of Lyons until the Sisters of Marie-Joseph, having satisfied the most pressing needs, were in a position to furnish subjects for Lyons.
"We can admire here the supernatural disinterestedness of Mother Saint John, as we can throughout the entire course of her life. She never tried to draw profit from a situation. Interest for souls was the only motive of her deeds and her decisions. She never put God at the service of her Institute; she put her Institute at the service of God."
From Mother Saint John Fontbonne: A Biography adapted from the original French edition by a Sister of Saint Joseph Brentwood, New York
"Three months after the publication of this report, the Prefect of Bas Rhine asked for six or eight Sisters of Saint Joseph for the central prison of Hagueneau, where only women were imprisoned. Some time later, the Prefect of the North asked for some for the prison of Lille. Since these requests had not been foreseen, the Superiors were not prepared to answer at once. In the Chamber of Deputies, everybody agreed that the reform of the prisons was needed, especially in the prisons for women where men supervised. But not everybody wished the reform to be made in the same manner. Hence, the different systems, and the hot discussions which ended in one decision,--the need of immediate action and the finding of supervisors who possessed all desirable qualities.
"'Give me five hundred Sisters,' exclaimed M. Thiers, 'and I will undertake to reform all the prisons in the kingdom. With their rosaries on their sides, they will certainly have more influence than the keepers with their swords.'
"'That is possible,' somebody answered, 'but where shall we find these five hundred Religious who will consent to enclose themselves with the prisoners day and night.?'
"A member of the Assembly spoke of the Sisters of Saint Joseph and the well-conducted prisons of Lyons. The Inspector General of the prisons, Charles Lucas, was commissioned to ascertain the state of affairs for himself, to see the Superior of this convent and to ask her if she would accept the supervision of all the prisons of France, beginning with the central houses. The offer was accepted, in principle, but on the condition that the prisons would be served according to the possibilities of the community.
"At once, the Minister of the Interior asked for two hundred Sisters. These would have been given willingly but the community did not have them. The Superior asked for time and as God wanted this work, He bestowed vocations. The Novitiate of the Solitude was filled and it was with the greatest care that these young subjects were prepared for this special mission which requires as much firmness as kindness and supernatural spirit.
"Demands came from every quarter. On January 30, 1840, the Inspector General announced that the Minister of the Interior sanctioned the Prefect of Herault, who made an agreement with the congregation...
"The prisons suddently assumed an unforseen importance. This work had already necessitated a special training. The unexpected growth of this second division could harm the good progress of the Institute, the unity of spirit and the entire observance of the Rule. That was a subject of great anxiety for Mother Saint John [Fontbonne]. This useful and fruitful apostolic movement must not be stopped, but the other works of the community must neither be submerged nor compromised. One way alone would settle all difficulties: that is, to have two different congregations. The Archbishop having approved this plan, the Sisters worked at once to realize it and to look for a place where they would locate the novitiate for the Sisters who were to have the service of the prisons. [It was decided to locate it at Haute Vienne.]
"Cardinal Fesch died in Rome, in 1839. The Bishop of Le Puy, Monsignor de Boland, succeeded him as Archbishop of Lyons. On January 30, 1841, he issued an ordinance which permitted the Sisters of Saint Joseph to choose freely between the community for the prisons or the community for teaching and other charitable works. Those who chose the prisons were authorized to leave the diocese under the direction of Mother Saint Augustine Quinon.
"The new congregation retained the name of Saint Joseph, but it added that of Mary. The Sisters also kept the original habit. The black underveil was replaced by a white one; over this white underveil was in turn placed a blue one and the black veil was pinned over these two. One could soon see a few of the Sisters Marie-Joseph in all the prisons. Those who desire to know them will still find them in the Prison Saint Lazare, Paris. The Sisters of Saint Joseph continued their work in the prisons of Lyons until the Sisters of Marie-Joseph, having satisfied the most pressing needs, were in a position to furnish subjects for Lyons.
"We can admire here the supernatural disinterestedness of Mother Saint John, as we can throughout the entire course of her life. She never tried to draw profit from a situation. Interest for souls was the only motive of her deeds and her decisions. She never put God at the service of her Institute; she put her Institute at the service of God."
From Mother Saint John Fontbonne: A Biography adapted from the original French edition by a Sister of Saint Joseph Brentwood, New York
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